Drivers put lives in danger by ignoring red lights

RACQ has slammed Queenslanders who risked their lives with blatant dangerous driving after it was revealed more than 23,000 people were caught by red light cameras in Queensland in just 12 months.

Data* obtained by the Club showed the Gold Coast Highway and Margaret Avenue intersection at Broadbeach held the unenviable title for the highest rate of notices issued per hour of operation, with more than 1,380 offences detected by the camera during 2017.

RACQ spokesperson Clare Hunter said it was particularly shocking as the camera was only operational for 6,888 hours (equal to 287 days).

“At Margaret Avenue, there’s a red light run, on average, every five hours of operation – it’s a blatant disregard for the lives of others and there’s no reason to risk it,” Ms Hunter said.

“But it’s not just bad behaviour on the Gold Coast, we’re really disappointed more than 63 red light camera offences, on average, were being committed each day across the State.”

Ms Hunter slammed the dangerous behaviour as irresponsible and urged drivers to think about the safety of all road users.

“Running a red light is extremely dangerous and could seriously injure not only other motorists but also pedestrians and cyclists who don’t expect a car to hurtle through an intersection,” she said.

Ms Hunter said the Leopard Street intersection with Stanley Street at Woolloongabba had proved prolific for those who ran red lights with 1,603 people detected while the camera was operational for a total of 8,341 hours.

“Too many drivers choose to run a red light in the hope they’ll gain a few extra seconds – but with more than 222 lives lost on roads this year drivers need to stop and think about how much they’re putting themselves at risk,” she said.

“For those who accuse police of revenue raising – which it isn’t – just remember police are usually first on scene when a red-light runner results in a fatal crash.

“It’s pretty simple, red means stop before entering the intersection and drivers should always be prepared to stop if signals change to yellow, if it’s safe to do so.”